Lorry Driver Jailed for 11 Years After Fatal M20 Crash While on Video Call

A lorry driver from Croatia has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after he killed a father-of-two in a crash on the M20 motorway in Kent. Zvonko Tomisa, 58, was driving at approximately 55 mph when he struck Arran McManus’s Nissan Qashqai in stationary traffic on November 25 last year. Maidstone Crown Court was told Tomisa was on a video call with his wife at the time of the collision.

The court heard that Tomisa’s phone showed multiple incoming and outgoing calls, messages, and video calls in the hour before the crash. He attempted to brake only one second before impact. 5 miles before the collision due to a build-up of traffic.

Moore said Tomisa’s attention was distracted by his phone use and that he had assumed the rules did not apply to him. She noted that any discussion of a medical matter provided no excuse for the lack of concentration.

McManus, 36, suffered injuries described as “not survivable” after his vehicle was crushed into a lorry ahead of him. His partner, Ashleigh Devlin, said he was clever, witty, and a central figure in their community.

Tomisa changed his plea to guilty on April 9 this year.

In a letter read to the court, he accepted responsibility and expressed remorse for the family’s loss. Kent Police chief inspector Craig West said the death was completely avoidable and urged drivers to recognise the dangers of using a phone while driving.